After a relatively predictable first round, can some lower seeds pull off upsets in the Round of 32? We'll be looking at the Radiohead and Flaming Lips regions today, and the LCD Soundsystem and Wilco regions tomorrow. Let's get into the match-ups:
(1) Animal Collective vs. (9) M83
Winner: (1) Animal Collective
Animal Collective is pretty far from aesthetically accessible. Although Merriweather Post Pavilion is undoubtedly their most immediate album, it still requires patience from the listener, as many of the songs develop and subtly change over repetitive loops and themes. M83's Saturdays = Youth would probably appeal to most people on some level. Weird/creepy soliloquies mid-song notwithstanding, the music is "pretty" in a very universal sense, and it sounds like it could be a soundtrack to a movie. If this were an actual tournament match-up, Animal Collective would be harder for the other team to figure out because they have a lot of different schemes and can play a number of different styles. M83 is easier to prepare for because you know what you're going to see, and although they're very good, their predictability is their Achilles heal.
(5) Deerhunter vs. (4) Franz Ferdinand
Winner: (4) Franz Ferdinand
I went back on forth on this match-up for a good 15 minutes, trying to decide which band was more deserving of advancing. Then I realized they were up against Animal Collective and figured it was time to just pick a band so I could put someone out of their misery. Franz Ferdinand got the nod because their recent release Tonight will put them in the running for Comeback Band of the Year. After their eponymous debut album rocketed them from clubs to stadiums, they quickly released You Could Have It So Much Better. "Sophomore slump" would probably have been too harsh, but it was still a drop when compared to the fire-hot Franz Ferdinand. It's been 3 years since YCHISMB, and the time has allowed Franz Ferdinand to focus on songwriting. There are no "Take Me Out"s on Tonight, but the album feels complete and cohesive. Although Deerhunter's Microcastle/Weird Era Cont. double album was excellent, I've got a soft spot for those Glaswegians. Besides, Animal Collective is waiting...
(3) Grizzly Bear vs (6) The National
Winner: (6) The National
I understand that Grizzly Bear is quite possibly the most blogged about band on the internets right now, and Veckatimest, their upcoming album, somehow manages to live up to all of the hype and early praise it's receiving. Those two things combined should project Grizzly Bear into the next round, and if this match-up happened 10 times, Grizzly Bear probably wins 7-8 of them. But today, Boxer is playing in the house as we're cleaning, and I can't help but think about how amazing that album was, from start to finish. And lest we forget, Aaron and Bryce Dessner (from The National) were primarily responsible for the Red Hot Organization's indie-rock All-Star compliation Dark Was The Night. Not only are The National a phenomenal band, but they care about battling HIV/AIDS. That's the kind of heart that pushes a team to an upset.
(2) Lil' Wayne vs. (7) Spoon
Winner: (2) Lil' Wayne
"What's Lil' Wayne up to today?" You could ask that question on a daily basis and legitimately get a different answer almost every time. Is he dropping another mixtape? What's all this about how he's making a rock album? Which new Top 20 song is he a part of? Didn't I see Katie Couric giving him the googly-eyes a month or so before the Grammy's? Tha Carter III was unquestionably one of the best albums of 2008 by any metric you care to use. The critics fawned over it, hailing Weezy as the best in the game right now (a claim he routinely makes himself). His album sold over 3 million copies, going triple platinum at a time when album sales are down. Put simply... when the predominantly white indie blogosphere can admit that a rapper has made one of the best albums of the year (and maybe the decade), something special is happening. I've got love for Spoon, but against Lil' Wayne... this year... it's not even close.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
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Hey,
ReplyDeleteIt's Zach from WLFY, really like the coverage the blog is doing on the tourny, but I think a lot of your match-ups are wrong. AC is playing Bloc Party, Grizzly Bear vs Spoon, and Lil Wayne was beat by The Avett Brothers first round.
Hey Zach,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment. First, this was a GREAT idea, and we're really enjoying the conversations it's generating. We're actually filling out what WE voted for and why. Also, we took into account what the true NCAA match-ups would be... it makes it more realistic, as the #1 seed should get to play the lowest possible seed in the next round, which would be the 8/9 winner (I think you guys mentioned that the bracket-maker you used wouldn't let you set it up like that). At the end, we'll have a little comparison between our votes and the actual results. Thanks again, and keep up the great work!!